Nightmares Are Best Left that Way
by Liv-x-Case-Benson
Summary: Phoebe's daughter is having nightmares and only Phoebe can cure them. A love is vanquished to save another. Please read and review!


**Nightmares Are Best Left that Way**

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

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"_Phoebe." The voice drone in the 12-year-old's dream. "I can change. I have."_

"_I'm not Phoebe!" she yelled. "I'm her daughter!"_

"_Oh, Phoebe, you were always so persistent. And you've used an anti-aging spell. Sneaky. All these years without you, they've tormented me." _

"_I'm telling you," the girl said, struggling against the chains that bound her arms to the cavern wall, struggling in her sleep. "I'm not Phoebe!"_ She shouted as she jolted awake from the nightmare.

She wiped her forehead. It came again. For about a year, she'd had this dream of a man tormenting her, thinking she was her mother, although the resemblance was striking. He gave her chills. Her mother never really mentioned anything of her past loves before marrying her dad, Coop.

She had to get these to stop. She uncovered herself, walking over to the light switch. Her fingers rested upon it, but knew she'd have to pray for some miracle for her mom to be awake and walking at this hour. She sighed, feeling how groggy she was despite the unnerving dream.

She opened her bedroom door and walked into the hallway. She rested against the wall, seeing her parents' room a few feet away.

"What am I supposed to say? I can't even tell her what he looked like." She went to turn back around to her room, when a hand grabbed her wrist. Instinctively, she threw a punch with her opposite hand.

"Ow! Prue, what have I told you about knowing who walks here at night?" Phoebe said rubbing her injured cheek.

"M—Mom?" She gasped as she heard the flick of the light switch. There stood Phoebe, her daughter's wrist in one hand, rubbing her injured cheek with the other.

"Yes. Now would you please tell me why you're awake at this hour? You're not sick, are you?" Phoebe asked.

"No Mom," Prue answered, moving back from the hand that was inching to her forehead. "I just…I had a nightmare. Actually, this is perfect because I was looking for you anyway."

"Looking for me?" Phoebe asked as Prue led her into her bedroom, flicking the light switch, and closed the door. She sat beside Prue on her bed. "Why would you be looking for—what is it?" Phoebe asked as her daughter stared at her hands.

"I – I" _Maybe I shouldn't tell her now. She's been under so much stress lately. What with demons, trying to get her column reorganized since they were on vacation last month…_

"Prue? Prue?" Phoebe called, trying to snap her out of her trance.

"Huh?" She looked at her.

"What was your nightmare about?"

"I'm not sure, but this guy, he seemed to know you. I was bound to a wall and he kept calling me Phoebe. He wouldn't believe that I wasn't you. Claimed I—or rather you—had used an anti-aging spell…" Her eyes averted her mom's. The way he looked at her made her feel uneasy.

"Did anything happen?" Phoebe asked concerned. Her powers were now so advanced that she knew all she had to do was hold her hand and the vision would come to her, but thought it was better for Prue to tell her. "As in physical?"

She bit her lip. No, nothing physical happened, yet… "No, nothing happened, but I don't know. It was like because he thought you were me, he could see through me."

"To your deepest desires. Dreams that make a fire burn into your soul they seem so real?" Phoebe asked.

"It made my skin crawl, the way he looked at me. I've had guys eye me, you know?" Phoebe nodded, remaining silent. "But it was nothing like this. He looked so hurt, betrayed, almost vengeful. Do you know who he is?"

Phoebe stood. "Yes, I do. I can feel him in the room."

"Wh—what?" Prue asked, panicked.

"Calm down. He's not trying to hurt any of us. Come, take my hand." She held her hand out, which her daughter grasped.

"N—now what?" Prue asked, shaking.

"Just let me tap your powers." Phoebe said, closing her eyes. "Hold on tight."

"Y—you're expecting me not to?"

Phoebe smiled. "Of course not. Ah, there it is." They Hearted out of the house to their destination in seconds.

"Where are we?" Prue asked, looking around the room. Glass was everywhere, tables and chairs were split in two and a cold wind blew through the broken glass of a set of double doors.

She took a breath. "The place of my nightmares. When you said the way he looked as you made you uneasy and the fact that he kept calling you by my name…"

"Very good Phoebe." She jumped, turning around pulling Prue behind her as he walked out. "Age and near paradise hasn't deafened your senses at all I see."

"Cut the crap, Cole! I know it was you!"

"Me? What did I do that was so bad? I didn't break up your marriage, did I? Either time…" Cole said walking toward them.

"You're the one _tormenting_ my daughter! You sick, twisted bastard! If you don't stop I'll—"

He stopped cold. "You'll what, Phoebe? Vanquish me?" He said sarcastically. "You couldn't even vanquish me with your sisters and the Power of Three. What's different now?"

Phoebe dug in the right pocket of her robe, pulling out two vials. One contained a bluish-greenish liquid. The other was the color of smoke. "Stand behind me against the wall."

"B—but Mom," she protested.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm much smarter than I was back then. I know what I'm doing, trust me." Phoebe locked her eyes on her daughter. They were cold, almost heartless. Prue had never seen her mom look at anyone that way and it frightened her.

Prue nodded, doing as her mom asked.

"Cole, why are you doing this? What's the point? You know I'll never go back to you."

He smirked. "I've been watching your sweet little girl and I noticed something. It wasn't just her powers or looks that make you alike. She has a nearly unquenchable thirst, a need of something—someone—with a dark presence. I thought I could be that person for—"

"You're lying!" Prue shouted from the wall. "I've never wanted to be evil! I love my life the way it is as dysfunctional as it gets most days."

"Maybe not consciously you don't, which is understandable. I'm sure you mother's love for your father hid any feelings of darkness she still had within her," he laughed walking toward them. "Any evil powers still present."

Prue's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "My mom was—no! You're lying! It's not true!" She slid down the wall hitting the floor.

"I'm not lying. You're mom was my queen for a few months—Queen of the Underworld. And as much as she masked everything she felt after she and your aunts tried to vanquish me, she just couldn't let go."

"That's enough Cole. I may not have been able to vanquish you then, but I can now." She glanced at Prue, who was curled up into a ball on the floor behind her, tears in streams and trembling. "I've done some researching and found a way to rid you of myself without tearing me to pieces."

He gaped. "I thought you didn't care for me."

She smirked. "I don't, but I do care for my son. I always will." She held up the bluish-greenish liquid. "This will stop your human heart." She held up the other. "And this will vanquish your demonic powers and influence."

She threw the bluish-greenish potion at his feet. Cole closed his eyes, feeling everything that had kept him alive for the past 12 years dissolve. His heart stopped in an instant. Not wanting to see anymore, Phoebe threw the smoke potion, then turned and ran for Prue.

"Baby, we've got to leave. I need your powers again." She said scooping her daughter into her arms. They Hearted away, back to Prue's room.

Phoebe walked over sitting on her daughter's bed. "You can ask any question you want." She said rubbing Prue's back.

She nodded, still unable to speak. "I—I have a brother?" She said through tears.

"You would have if he hadn't been taken from me." Prue looked at her oddly. "It's kind of a long story."

"W—was what he said true? Were you evil?" Prue asked sitting up.

"Yes, for a short time, but that story ties in with the other one. And before you ask, no you are not evil. But I don't think what he said was entirely false either."

"What do you mean?"

"After we tried to vanquish him, I tried to be over him. I just wanted a new life, but I knew I'd never truly forget, so I suppose I did mask everything. But are you sure you don't crave someone evil? If you do, it's okay. I did. It just didn't work out."

"Well, I wouldn't call him _'evil'_ per say, but…"

"Bad boy type, huh?" Phoebe asked. Prue nodded, pink cheeks. "It's okay. I won't make you tell me, but I'm here if you need me." She stood.

"Hey Mom, do you ever miss him, Cole?" Prue asked. Phoebe turned to face her.

She sighed. "Yes, but, like I said, I'll never go back to him again. I miss him because he was the first actual guy to accept me for being a witch. But inevitably, he used that against me."

"How?" Prue asked as Phoebe sat back down beside her.

"He knew your aunts wouldn't vanquish him because of me, but it worked the other way too." She said brushing her daughter's hair behind her ear.

"So because you loved Aunt Prue, Aunt Piper and Aunt Paige they were safe?" She asked. Phoebe nodded.

"I vanquished him because he threatened to kill them. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." Phoebe looked down. Her memories were whirling—and not just bad ones either.

"I know, Mom. I do. I'm just curious." Prue said, laying her hand on top of her mom's. "He's been tormenting me for a year. The one I had tonight…it was the most intense one."

"I believe it. He had that effect on me too. But he can't bother you anymore, I promise." Phoebe said hugging her as Prue climbed under the covers.

"Goodnight. Love you."

"Goodnight. Love you too." Phoebe answered walking out the door and closing it behind her.

She walked back to their bedroom, finding Coop staring out the window. "Did she have another nightmare?" Coop asked as he felt Phoebe's arms encircle his waist.

"Yes, but I've taken care of it. Don't worry." She smiled at him.

"It's late. You should probably get to bed if you want to be on time for your meeting tomorrow." He suggested.

"Yeah, I should." Phoebe said as she walked over and sat on their bed. "Hey Coop?"

"Yes?" He asked facing her.

"I know you're probably wondering where we were tonight—"

"No, I wasn't." He said walking over to her. "And you don't have to tell me in you don't want to."

"For now that's good." Phoebe said as she pulled the covers over herself and Coop climbed over her to the other side.

"Yes, it could be." He whispered, turning on his side and draping one arm over her, and was soon fast asleep.

**The End**

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**Author's Note:** What do you think?

Please read and review!

Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell


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